5 questions with Michele Horn

Michele Horn is the head of marketing at Jackson Spalding. You might recognize a few of their small clients like a little beverage startup called Coca-Cola.

I got to know Michele by working directly with her and she is one of the most visionary, smart, and kind marketing leaders I’ve known. And did I mention she’s a brilliant brand strategist? Let’s get into this interview where she dropped some real gems every business owner needs to hear.

1. What's your favorite aspect of your day to day work? 

Working toward a goal. At the highest level, working with a team to create campaigns that help my company meet a business goal and move us forward. And at a more specific level, feeling good about meeting personal goals and checking things off my list that move me or my team or my company forward in some way.

2. What do brands need to do now to see success in the future marketing/media landscape?

Establish a strong content marketing plan that aligns to their brand voice and message. Audiences expect brands to give them something (advice, knowledge, entertainment, etc.) and not just serve up ads. They want to have an affinity to brands in a way that can only come from having a voice in the market that will lead to sales or relationships that brands need to grow their business.

3. What mistakes do you see brands making?

When leadership in a company believes marketing is old and needs to be refreshed all the time just because they’ve seen it so many times. This leads to too many directions from a brand in market. Brands need to stay consistent for long periods of time with their marketing to allow it to settle in and stick with audiences.  

4. If a business is newly launching what's your number one piece of advice?

From a brand marketing standpoint, you have to nail your brand standards and stick to them. Don’t just put the document on a drive somewhere and forget it. Use it with every brief and every review of marketing assets as a litmus test to ensure consistency.

5. Tell us about your favorite current project. 

I’m working on a partnership with AXIOS to host a couple of events later this year. It will be great to see how we can bring both PR and Marketing professionals together in a way that allows them to meet and connect at events that showcase leaders in the communities where we have offices. It will be the first time these events have taken place in Atlanta and Dallas, so we’re excited to be part of these inaugural events and see what kind of relationships we can build through them.